25
1 The
word that came
to Jeremiah
concerning all the
people of Judah,
in the fourth
year of Jehoiakim
the son of
Josiah, king of
Judah (this was
the first year
of Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon),
2 which
Jeremiah the
prophet spoke to
all the people
of Judah, and
to all the
inhabitants of
Jerusalem:
3 From
the thirteenth
year of Josiah
the son of Amon,
king of Judah,
even to this
day, these
twenty-three years,
the LORD’s word
has come to
me, and I
have spoken to
you, rising up
early and speaking;
but you have
not listened.
4 The
LORD has sent
to you all
his servants the
prophets, rising
up early and
sending them (but
you have not
listened or
inclined your ear
to hear),
5 saying, “Return
now everyone from
his evil way,
and from the
evil of your
doings, and dwell
in the land that
the LORD has
given to you
and to
your fathers, from
of old and
even forever more.
6 Don’t go after
other gods to serve
them or worship
them, and don’t
provoke me to
anger with the
work of your
hands; then I
will do you
no harm.”
7 “Yet
you have not
listened to me,”
says the LORD, “that
you may provoke
me to anger
with the work
of your hands
to your own
hurt.”
8 Therefore
the LORD of
Armies says: “Because
you have not
heard my words,
9 behold,
I will send
and take all
the families of
the north,” says
the LORD, “and
I will send
to Nebuchadnezzar
the king
of Babylon, my
servant, and will
bring them against
this land, and
against its
inhabitants, and
against all these
nations around. I
will utterly
destroy them, and
make them an
astonishment, and
a hissing, and
perpetual desolations.
10 Moreover I
will take from
them the voice
of mirth and
the voice of
gladness, the
voice of the
bridegroom and the
voice of the
bride, the sound
of the millstones,
and the light
of the lamp.
11 This
whole land will be
a desolation, and
an astonishment;
and these nations
will serve the
king of Babylon
seventy years.
12 “It
will happen, when
seventy years are
accomplished, that
I will punish
the king of Babylon
and that nation,”
says the LORD, “for
their iniquity. I
will make the land
of the Chaldeans
desolate forever.
13 I
will bring on
that land all my
words which I
have pronounced
against it, even
all that is
written in this
book, which
Jeremiah has
prophesied against
all the nations.
14 For
many nations and
great kings will
make bondservants of
them, even of
them. I will
recompense them
according to their
deeds, and
according to the
work of their
hands.”
15 For
the LORD, the
God of Israel,
says to me: “Take
this cup of
the wine of
wrath from my
hand, and cause
all the nations
to whom I
send you to
drink it.
16 They
will drink,
and reel back and
forth, and
be insane, because
of the sword
that I will
send among them.”
17 Then
I took the
cup at the
LORD’s hand, and
made all the
nations to drink,
to whom the LORD
had sent me:
18 Jerusalem,
and the cities
of Judah, with
its kings and
its princes, to
make them a
desolation, an
astonishment, a
hissing, and a
curse, as it
is today;
19 Pharaoh
king of Egypt,
with his servants,
his princes, and
all his people;
20 and
all the mixed
people, and all
the kings of
the land of Uz,
all the kings
of the Philistines,
Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron,
and the remnant
of Ashdod;
21 Edom, Moab,
and the children
of Ammon;
22 and
all the kings
of Tyre, all
the kings of
Sidon, and the
kings of the isle
which is beyond
the sea;
23 Dedan,
Tema, Buz, and all
who have the
corners of
their beard cut
off;
24 and
all the kings
of Arabia, all
the kings of
the mixed people
who dwell in
the wilderness;
25 and
all the kings
of Zimri, all
the kings of
Elam, and all
the kings of
the Medes;
26 and
all the kings
of the north,
far and near,
one with another;
and all the
kingdoms of
the world, which
are on the
surface of
the earth. The
king of Sheshach
will drink after
them.
27 “You
shall tell them, ‘The
LORD of Armies,
the God of
Israel says: “Drink, and be drunk,
vomit, fall, and
rise no more,
because of the
sword which I
will send among
you.” ’
28 It
shall be, if
they refuse to
take the cup
at your hand
to drink, then
you shall tell
them, ‘The LORD
of Armies says: “You
shall surely drink.
29 For,
behold, I begin
to work evil
at the city
which is called
by my name;
and should you
be utterly
unpunished? You
will not be
unpunished; for I
will call for
a sword on
all the
inhabitants of
the earth, says
the LORD of
Armies.” ’
30 “Therefore
prophesy against
them all these
words, and tell
them,
“ ‘The LORD will
roar from on
high,
and utter his
voice from his
holy habitation.
He will mightily
roar against his
fold.
He will give
a shout, as
those who
tread grapes,
against all the
inhabitants of
the earth.
31 A
noise will come
even to the
end of the earth;
for the LORD
has a controversy
with the nations.
He will enter
into judgment with
all flesh.
As for the
wicked, he will
give them to
the sword,” ’ says
the LORD.”
32 The
LORD of Armies
says,
“Behold, evil
will go out
from nation to
nation,
and a great
storm will be
raised up from
the uttermost parts
of the earth.”
33 The
slain of the
LORD will be
at that day
from one end
of the earth even
to the other
end of the earth.
They won’t be
lamented. They won’t
be gathered or
buried. They will
be dung on
the surface of
the ground.
34 Wail,
you shepherds, and
cry.
Wallow in dust,
you leader of the
flock;
for the days
of your slaughter
and of your
dispersions have
fully come,
and you will
fall like fine
pottery.
35 The
shepherds will
have no way
to flee.
The leader of the
flock will have
no escape.
36 A
voice of the
cry of the
shepherds,
and the wailing
of the leader of
the flock,
for the LORD
destroys their
pasture.
37 The
peaceful folds are
brought to silence
because of the
fierce anger of
the LORD.
38 He
has left his
covert, as the
lion;
for their land
has become an
astonishment because
of the fierceness
of the oppression,
and because of
his fierce anger.